The DFM at the U of O includes approximately 30 geographic full-time faculty members (GFTs) and over 260 voluntary part-time preceptors (VPTs). The VPTs include physicians from both urban and rural settings, with a wide range of experience and teaching skills. The DFM learners range from first to fourth year medical students to first and second year FM residents comprising Canadian trained as well as International Medical Graduates. Faculty members and learners are supported by allied health professionals and specialists in areas such as behavioural medicine, palliative care, obstetrics and pharmacology.
In the past five years, the DFM has grown at both the postgraduate and undergraduate levels, necessitating an increase in recruitment of preceptors. During this time, the DFM did not have a fully developed FD program to offer the newly recruited preceptors. The rapid expansion and popularity of family medicine as a discipline has dictated a growing need for an effective FD program to assist preceptors as they develop their teaching skills (Frisch & Talbot, 1984).
There has been a worldwide shift in the delivery of medical education programs, from a focus on clinical rotations to a competency-based curriculum (American Institute of Medicine, 2001; College of Family Physicians of Canada, 1989; Frank, et al., 2005; General Medical Council, 2001; Tannenbaum et al., 2009; 2011). Transitioning to a competency-based curriculum is a massive conceptual, cultural and logistical shift for residency programs and involves the creation of an integrated curriculum that places emphasis on experiential learning versus learning that takes place after a designated amount of time (typically four weeks) in a rotation. Thus, future FM residents will need to repeatedly demonstrate competency in all areas of their learning before they graduate at the end of their two-year program. A complete change in the structure and operation of residency programs is required to provide learners an opportunity to demonstrate these competencies. Furthermore, FD is required to support preceptors with implementing the new curriculum.